In an instant, his unreadable expression turned to one of longing and, with two swift strides, he crossed the distance between them and crushed his mouth against hers.
Scarlet immediately sank into his arms, relief, love, and joy flooding her soul as she kissed him back.
He pulled back and ran his eyes over her in awe. Cupping her face in his hands, he gently smoothed his thumbs over her cheekbones. “God, I love you.”
Scarlet stared into the magical green eyes she was not yet used to, but already enchanted with, as she ran her hands up his chest. “I love you more.”
“Never.” He smiled and began to kiss her with a hunger that made her insides tighten. She curved her body into him and parted her lips, letting his tongue slide into her mouth.
Her hands roved over his broad shoulders and to his back, gripping his thin shirt for a moment before sliding a hand into his hair.
She loved him so much. She wanted him so much.
He pulled back from her with a curious look, his chest rising and falling with heavy breaths.
“What is it?” She was out of breath as well.
He tilted his head at her. “I think…I think I can feel you.”
“Feel me?” Her thoughts went several inappropriate places and Tristan’s eyes lit again.
He swallowed. “I think I can feel your emotions. I can feel how you are happy and confused and… how you want me.” His voice was hoarse on these last words.
Scarlet’s cheeks grew hot.
“And I can feel your heart beating as if it were my own.” He glanced at her chest where her unruly heart was going wild.
“But how is that possible?”
He shook his head. “Perhaps this is part of my blood living inside you. Perhaps,” he swallowed again. “Perhaps you are a piece of me now.”
At the thought of being a piece of Tristan, Scarlet’s heart nearly spilled over with joy.
“You’re pleased.” He smiled. “I can feel that you’re pleased.”
“That is remarkable.” Scarlet’s mouth fell open. “You can truly feel me.”
He nodded. “And when you touch me, it feels…euphoric.”
“Euphoric?” The idea of her touch giving him pleasure made her feel powerful, and suddenly she wanted to touch him all over.
His eyes fell to her chest again. “Your heart is racing.”
He placed his hand over her heart, his palm resting against the fabric of her dress while his fingers pressed into the bare skin above her neckline. They stared down at where her heart pulsed beneath his hand. Heaving. Demanding.
A warm tremble ran through her and his eyes darkened.
Was his breathing heavier than it had been a moment ago? Was hers?
“Hunter.” Her voice was breathy and damp. She wasn’t sure what she wanted to say, but it didn’t matter. Tristan swept her mouth into his before words could form, kissing her deeply. His lips enraptured her, his tongue running along the soft inner flesh of her mouth. Hot. Wet. Desperate.
He ran his teeth up her jaw and stopped below her ear, a lick searing her sensitive skin. It was all Scarlet could do not to claw her way into his clothes. She wanted to be closer to him. So much closer.
His hands ran along her body and up the sides of her ribcage as his mouth came back to hers. Scarlet rubbed her hips against him, sliding her palms down his back to the hem of his shirt. She slipped her hands underneath and felt his warm skin against her fingers. His hands moved around her body; gripping her hips, brushing her curves—
A loud thud sounded against the door and they both stilled.
Tristan slowly pulled his mouth away from hers and looked at the closed door as if it were a great enemy.
Loud, drunk singing came from the other side of the door as, what Scarlet assumed was, a drunken guest stumbled his way down the hall, knocking into walls and other closed doors with more thuds. His off-pitch song carried on without shame, interrupted only the occasional hiccup.
A door across the hall squeaked open and a cranky voice yelled, “Would you shut up?”
The drunkard sang louder and Scarlet couldn’t help but whisper-laugh at the nonsense in the hallway, Tristan joining in with her.
“Shut up!” The neighbor squawked.
More hiccups, followed by a horrendously loud encore, and the cranky neighbor slammed his door.
Scarlet shifted, unintentionally loosing herself from Tristan’s warm arms as they tapered their laughter and listened to the drunkard’s song fade down the hall.
Then silence.
Their eyes met and Scarlet swallowed. “I should probably get back to my room.”
He ran a hand over his head and nodded. “Yes. Of course.” He moved to open the door, then stopped. “Oh. I almost forgot.”
He retrieved a small object from the table beside his bed and set it in her palm, his dimples sinking into his cheeks as he grinned.
Scarlet looked down at her mother’s brooch and blinked in surprise, her breath catching in her throat. “Oh, Tristan. How did you…?”
“After Nathaniel said you might someday return, I went to your room at the castle and found it for you.”
“And you kept it all this time?” She looked up at him in awe.
He nodded. “I wanted you to have a piece of your family.”
Scarlet kissed him, passionately and fully, as his arms gently wrapped around her. He’d hoped for her return. He’d kept a piece of her mother for her.
He’d loved her for all these years, even through death and uncertainty.
She was completely his.
CHAPTER 9
Every nerve in Tristan’s body was on edge as he stared at Nathaniel. “What do you mean we cannot touch?”
“I did not say you cannot touch. I said you should not touch. Not until we understand how your blood affects Scarlet or find a way to undo the blood connection between you two.”
They had left the inn that morning and all come back to Nathaniel’s estate when he’d insisted he needed to research Scarlet’s heart condition. And now Tristan stood in Nathaniel’s library and watched him comb through old books.
“It seems your immortal blood is straining Scarlet’s heart.” Nathaniel closed the book in front of him and moved on to another.
“Yes, but what does that mean?” Tristan said. “Is she sick? Is she weak?”
“I don’t know. I’m not a doctor. But that’s not a bad idea. I could certainly do a better job than that mumbling fellow you pinned against the wall the other day.” He smiled.
“Would you please focus, Nathaniel. How much danger is Scarlet in?”
He sighed. “I could be wrong. Her strained heartbeat might be nothing at all. But if I am right, your immortal blood might make her very ill. Perhaps even bring her death.”